Author Name: M.A. Church
Book Name: Behind the Eight Ball
Series: Fur, Fangs, and Felines
Book: Two
Can be read as a standalone, but book
one does give information about one of the MCs.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Paul Richmond
Release
Date: October 30, 2015
Blurb:
A cool morning, a yard full of birds,
and a kitty on a mission. What more could a werecat want? Beta Heller Wirth has
it all, except a mate—a shifter mate, that is. The last thing he wants is one
of those dangerous humans who kill without remorse. Heller knows about that
firsthand. So what does
the goddess Bast do? She gives Heller exactly what he does not want—a
human: business owner Lawson Dupre.
Lawson hasn’t a clue what just
happened in his car detail shop. One minute a cute client is about to pass out,
then he perks up and starts flirting. Next thing, he runs out the door like the
hounds of hell are after him. Learning that Heller is a werecat doesn’t freak
out Lawson. He happens to be one of those rare humans who knows paranormals
exists. He even lives with one. Watch the fur fly as Heller and Lawson battle
hurt feelings, misguided beliefs, and a power shift in Heller’s clowder.
Pages or Words: 76,000 words
Categories: Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal,
Romance
Excerpt:
Step.
Step.
Stop.
The
rustling of dead leaves caught my attention, and I froze with one paw still in
the air. Not moving and barely daring to breathe, I waited. My whiskers
twitched as a cool October breeze disturbed the scent of decaying leaves and
rich soil. The foliage trembled again as something rooted around.
I slowly
lowered my paw. The disturbance wasn’t very noticeable except to my predatory
gaze. The movement continued. Gradually, bit by bit, I crept forward, making
sure my long fur didn’t disturb the surrounding mounds of dying leaves. It was
times like these I wished my coat were short like Dolf’s. One thing was for
sure—whatever was below those leaves was going to be mine shortly. All I needed
was to cover a little more distance and I’d be close enough.
Step.
Step.
Crouch.
Heart thumping,
I watched as the movement continued. My muscles tightened and my bottom started
wiggling. Unable to wait, I sprang forward, claws extended. Leaves flew into
the air as I landed on my target. Bugs scattered. Eyes narrowed, I searched
for…. There! There was the little bugger. I growled at the big black beetle and
trapped it with my paw.
Seconds
passed. The bug wiggled under my paw, tickling me. Hunched down, I carefully
lifted my paw and peeked. Dammit, can’t
see. Unable to get a good look, I lifted my paw a little higher… and there
it went, scuttling across the ground. Gleefully I slammed a paw down, trying to
trap it. Slap. Slap. Slap. Arrgh! What’s
the deal? I keep missing.
Looked
like I’d found myself in a game of whack-a-mole, except with a beetle. And off we went. The bug scurried away
with me hot on its trail. Every time I thought I had a paw on it, I ended up
missing. Stupid critter was fast. I bounded along behind as it raced across the
ground. Then it suddenly cut back and ran straight under me.
Surprised,
I leaped in the air, all four paws coming off the ground. Whoa! Zigged when I should have zagged. I landed and nonchalantly
licked a paw. Hope no one saw that. I had to give the bug credit. That was a
smart move. The shrill cry of a mockingbird caught my attention. I lifted my
head, searching for the little tattletale.
Up in a
tree it sat, its warning cries echoing around the yard. I eyed the tree. Hmm, I could climb it, but the stupid bird
will probably just take off. Still, might be fun. Maybe after I finished
playing with the bug… and damn. The bug.
My
attention returned to where it had been, my tail slashing. Great. Lost it. Stupid bird. I sat up and threw a glare over my
shoulder at the bird. Standing, I turned my back to the little menace, tail
held high. That’s what I think of you,
buddy. I prowled around for a while, sniffing, enjoying the coolness of the
morning.
In the
early morning sunlight, the dew on the grass sparkled like diamonds. Maybe it
was pretty, but the stuff was also cold and wet against my paws. I was glad for
my fur. As I wandered back toward the house, my stomach growled. I was hungry
and… I sniffed. Oh, was that a blue jay I smelled? Oh, oh, a blue jay. Yum.
The
human side of me groaned, but the kitty part wanted to jump with joy. The noisy little shits were actually quite
intelligent. Catching one was always a feat. Quick as I could, I hid in the
bright fall foliage by the back porch. I stayed very, very still so the stupid
bird three feet from me didn’t fly off in a panic.
I licked
my lips, my whiskers twitching as I watched the little rascal across from me
raise its head. Shit, shit, shit. What
caught its attention? Come on already. It’s all fine, nothing to worry about
here. No cat hanging around. Just go back to pecking around on the ground.
Everything’s good. See? I’m not moving, not even breathing.
Crouched
low, I waited while my breakfast relaxed and returned to looking for acorns.
Other birds came and went, but I refused to get distracted. I knew the one I
wanted. Inch by agonizing inch, I crept closer to my prey. My mouth watered and
my heart thumped.
The
chatter of the birds around me was easy and relaxed, no distress calls
sounding. That’s right. Just keep on
eating. Soon I’m going to be eating you. My body tensed, back legs ready to
spring me into action….
And the
phone in the house rang.
Buy the book:
Dreamspinner eBook
Guest Post from author M.A. Church
Tell us the highlight of your writing
career (so far).
I’ve been
writing professionally for a couple years, and in those couple of years, I’ve
had some nice things happen. Shadows in
the Night won Honorable Mention in the 2013 Rainbow Awards. Trouble Comes in Threes had a feature in
Tease Magazine, and Becky Condit from USA Today reviewed it.
But the best
thing so far was my acceptance into SWFA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America). I guess what I’m so
proud of is the fact that you have to qualify in order to be considered for
acceptance. Fortunately for me, recently they relaxed their guidelines just
enough for me to qualify.
But what I’m really proud of is the fact that The Harvest series is what qualified
me. It was the second thing I had ever
written and the first time I tried my hand at science fiction. Of course, I’ve
been watching sci-fi for as long as I can remember LOL.
Meet the author:
M.A. Church is a true
Southern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now she
spends her days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on
far-off planets, herding her numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country
boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full time job, but hey, someone’s
gotta do it!
When not writing, she’s
exploring the latest M/M novel to hit the market, watching her beloved
Steelers, or sitting glued to HGTV. That’s if she’s not on the back porch
tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks
are very outspoken. She’s married to
her high school sweetheart, and they have two children.
She was a finalist in the
Rainbow awards for 2013 and is a member of Romance Writers of America, Rainbow
Romance Writers, and Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
Where to find the author:
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Thanks for having me! :)
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